Climate change plan sees no new petrol or diesel cars after 2030 and no NCT for polluting cars after 2045

The end of petrol and diesel cars in Ireland, as well as the end of oil and gas boilers in homes, has been announced by the Government as part of a new climate change plan.

In a dramatic bid to tackle climate change, and meet our EU targets on emissions, councils will be handed the power to restrict access to certain parts of towns and cities to zero-emissions vehicles only, under the ambitious new environmental plan.

And no petrol or diesel cars will be sold after 2030, with all such vehicles effectively banned from the road by 2045.

The new climate change plan will see no petrol or diesel cars will be sold after 2030, with all such vehicles effectively banned from the road by 2045. Pic: Rollingnews.ie : Sam Boal

The plan also says that a ‘roadmap’ will be developed, with a mix of taxation and subsidy policies in order to entice people to move toward electric cars.

According to the Government’s Climate Action Plan, revealed yesterday by Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Environment Minister Richard Bruton, a regulatory framework will be developed on low emissions and parking pricing policies to provide local authorities with the enhanced powers.

The Department of Transport will this year commission a review of the plan and recommend appropriate responses for Dublin, Cork, Galway and Limerick.

The Climate Action Plan contains 180 measures to lower the country’s carbon emissions, including incentives to encourage drivers to switch to electric vehicles, retro-fitting gas boilers in homes, increasing the carbon tax, and a scheme to sell any electricity a home generates back into the grid.

The Government’s plan aims to reduce Ireland’s overall carbon emissions by 20% by 2030 before becoming carbon neutral by 2050.

The plan bans the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2030. Those remaining on the road after 2030 will not be issued new NCT certificates after 2045.

The plan bans the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2030. Pic: Collins Dublin

The Government’s aims to have 950,000 electric vehicles on the road by 2030 and is planning to vastly increase the number of charging stations which currently service around 10,000 electric vehicles across the country.

This will include more than 90 high-powered chargers along the national road network, the installation of 50 new fast chargers, and the replacement of over 250 standard chargers.

From 2025, new non-residential buildings with more than 10 parking spaces will have at least one recharging point installed. There will also be a minimum number of recharging points required for all existing non-residential buildings with more than 20 parking spaces.

The Government’s aims to have 950,000 electric vehicles on the road by 2030. Pic: Shutterstock

A government source told Extra.ie: ‘Giving local authorities new powers to restrict certain areas to low emission vehicles would allow local authorities to make a positive impact on air quality and cut emissions.’

The plan also proposes a number of measures for other sectors.

There will be an effective ban on the installation of oil boilers from 2022, and on the installation of gas boilers from 2025, in all new dwellings through the introduction of new regulatory standards for home heating systems.

There is also a plan to retrofit 400,000 homes and businesses with heat pumps, replacing existing oil and solid fuel boilers.

Carbon tax is set to rise to at least €80 per tonne by 2030, which will be incrementally increased over successive budgets.

A new microgeneration scheme will also be introduced, allowing homeowners to generate their own electricity and sell what they don’t use back to the grid.

The plan calls for the elimination of non-recyclable plastic and the introduction of higher fees on the production of materials which are difficult to recycle.

The proposal, in line with new EU rules, also calls for the implementation of a ban on single-use plastic plates, cutlery, straws, balloon sticks and cotton buds.

The proposal also calls for the implementation of a ban on single-use plastic plates, cutlery, straws, balloon sticks and cotton buds. Pic: Shutterstock

The Government aims to move to 70pc renewable energy by 2030.

On the plan, the Taoiseach said: ‘We are making change now, before it is too late. We recognise that Government doesn’t have all the answers. So we will work with people, industry and communities to chart the best and most inclusive way forward.’

Minister Richard Bruton said the Government needed to act now to leave a ‘better, healthier, more sustainable Ireland for future generations’.

‘This plan sets out radical reforms, which will cut our reliance on carbon, making our businesses more competitive, our homes more sustainable and our farms more efficient,’ he said.

Reacting to the Climate Action Plan, Sinn Fein’s Climate spokesman Brian Stanley said: ‘The Government does not have an ambitious enough action plan for renewable energy. We want to see our economy transition to a green economy. This has to be done in a manner that protects lower income families and ensures that ordinary people do not carry an unjust share of the burden.’

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